31 March 2013

I've been writing quite a lot about the current Data Protection
regulation that is being considered in the European Parliament. As I've
noted, this has led to an unprecedented level of lobbying from US
companies, who are keen not to have to follow strict EU rules when it
comes to our privacy. So far, I've not singled out any particular
company in this context, but having read somewhat belatedly this post by the privacy expert Simon Davies, I feel a need to talk about one that is clearly right at the heart of this battle: Google.

About Me

I have been a technology journalist and consultant for 30 years, covering
the Internet since March 1994, and the free software world since 1995.

One early feature I wrote was for Wired in 1997:
The Greatest OS that (N)ever Was.
My most recent books are Rebel Code: Linux and the Open Source Revolution, and Digital Code of Life: How Bioinformatics is Revolutionizing Science, Medicine and Business.